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Have you put in the time and effort preparing your budget? Are you staying within the guidelines you’ve set for yourself, but still need little more to work with?  Here are three ways you may be able to create some extra wiggle room. 1. CELL PHONE – You may not realize it but once you’ve come to the end of your cell phone contract you are no longer bound to your plan. Contact customer service to discuss your options for a month-to-month plan, which can save you upwards of $25 per month. The only catch is that you’ll need to keep your phone. Many carriers now offer shared plans.  If there are multiple people in your household, contact your carrier to see if a shared plan would meet your needs.  You can usually get a large block of data to share and save money on every additional line added. Are you self-employed?  If so, you may qualify for a business plan which can offer monthly savings as well as discounts on a variety of retailers you may use personally or for your business. 2. CABLE – Check into competitors and consider switching providers to take advantage of introductory offers. Pay close attention to the full price to be paid once the offer is over however, as many providers require you to enter into a contract for service. Review your provider’s current bundle information to see if you can eliminate a few blocks of channels and just reinstate the specific channels you watch.  Many networks offer streaming from their website so if you only watch a channel for one or two shows, you may be able to stream them and eliminate the channel from your cable package. Consider shifting to basic cable (or eliminate cable altogether) and look at subscription services such as Netflix, Hulu, Crave or Amazon Prime Video.  You can also take advantage of these sites’ original content.  There are many streaming services where you can watch your favourite shows for free. 3. ENTERTAINMENT – If you’re a Costco member look at the gift certificate section on your next shopping trip. Passes and gift certificates can be purchased for movie theatres, spas, restaurants, etc. with significant savings. Keep an eye on sites like Groupon, Living Social and Get in the Loop for deals in your area.  It’s a great way to try new things while saving money. Even if the savings only amount to a few dollars here or there they can add up to a noticeable amount at the end of the month.  This could leave you with extra money for savings, unexpected expenses or to pay down debt. Can’t find enough savings to make a difference? We are here to help! You can find a Licensed Insolvency Trustee near you by visiting CAIRP’s website: http://www.cairp.ca/find-a-cirp. Chelsea Taylor is a Licensed Insolvency Trustee and Vice President in MNP’s Insolvency group in Kelowna, BC.